Switch-point operator.



R. ALCOLEA.

SWITCH POINT OPERATOR. APPLICATIoN FILED FEB. 24, 19m.

215229,56@ Patented June l2, 1917.

lllmlll l miill mais Perses co., Hamm-mo.. wAsmNcmN. u

WlTED dllafflE@ RAFAEL ALCOLEA, 0F NEW GRLEANS, LOUISIANA.

SWITCH-POINT OPERATOR.

Speciicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented J une f2, 494'?.

Application led February 24, 1915. Serial No. 10,340.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAFAEL ALCOLEA, a citizen of the United States of Mexico, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Point Operators, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to railway switches and more particularly to improvements for automatically operating the switch point or points from a vehicle moving on a railway track.

rllhe primary object of my invention is to provide improved means associated With a railway track switch point whereby the switch point may be moved from a vehicle or car moving on the track.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means on the car actuatablc by the motorman coacting with the means on the track whereby the position of the switch point may be changed as desired.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for automatically disengaging the actuating` means carried by the car when it has performed its function.

lVith the above and other objects in view my invention resides preferably in therconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical sectional view through the switch actuating means carried on the'vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a top'plan view of a switch operating contact arrangement wherein electricity is utilized as a medium of operation, and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the circuit closers taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. l.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to the .drawings in which the preferred form of my invention is illustrated, the numeral 1 indicates the rails of a railway track, the lioor 2 of a street railway vehicle being indicated in Fig. l.

Reference is now directed to Fig. 2 in which a switch point is indicated by the numeral 4 the switch being pivoted at 5 and may be of the usual construction resorted to in street railway practice. The rails of a spur track are indicated at 6. Only one switch point has been indicated, although two switch points maybe employed, but it will suffice to indicate the preferred struc-- ture, operation, and advantages of my inventio-n.

rIhe operating mechanism for the switch point is preferably placed at any desired distance in advance of the switch point 4 and comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed parallel channel members designated 41 and 42, respectively. The channel members 4l and 42 are disposed either between the rails l or outside and laterally thereof, the preferred location being indicated in Fig. 2 for this particular form of my invention. The said channels 4l and 42 respectively are substantially alike in construction, and are provided with abutment walls 43 and 44. The abutment walls. of each of the channel members 4l and'42 respectively are extended above the upper marginal edge of the side walls of each of said channel members as shown in the drawing to provide abutments having a curved or beveled rear surface for apurpose which will hereinafter be set forth. These abutments 43 and 44 extend completely across the width of the two channel members 4l and 42 and may be cast integral therewith thus forming a structure which maybe placed in position without bolts, nuts or similar fastening means.

Movable in each of the members 4l and 42 are contact blocks 47 and 48 which are adapted to be operated in a manner about to be explained. In order to actuate one or the other of the blocks l47 and 48 to cause the throwing of the switch point 4, lf provide. an arm 22 pivoted universally at 23, the joint being rigidly held assembled by bolt 23, to the floor 2 of the vehicle. The said arm 22 when in an operative position extends downwardly from the ,under surg face of the body 2, at an angle substantially as shown in Fig. l. Thelower extremity of the arm 22 is provided with an angularly disposed extension 24 for the purpose of engaging one or the other of the blocks 47 and 48 in amanner which will hereinafter become apparent. The arm 22 intermediate its pivoted end and lower extremity is pro vided with a lug 25, the said lug 25 being preferably arcuate in contour as illustrated to advantage 1n Fig. l. The position of the luO' 25 1s JreferablT as shown in the drawing, that is, adjacent the lower eXtremto a. relatively movable section 28 of the staff 28, the lower extremity of said pivoted portion 28y being pivotally connected as shown at 29 with a link 80 which link is in turn connected at 3l to the arm 22. The staif 28 is provided at its upperextremity with an operating handle 32 which'facili'- tates the manipulation of the device.

The normal position of the arm 22 ris as shown in Fig. l and it will be noted that in this view the arm 22 is very nearly parallel to the iioor 2 of the vehicle.

In order to provide means for the supporting of the staff 28 an annular ledge es is provided within the casing 26'at a point midway its length, the said annular 'ledge 33 being of such size as to snugly embrace the operating staff 28 as shown at 34. A second bearing member is indicated at 85 and assists the bearing Harige 83 in performing its function. In order to retain the operating staff in the position illustrated in Fig. l a helical spring 36 is provided within the casing 26 surrounding` the operating staff 28, one extremity of the spring 36 bearing upon the upper face ofthe flange 88 andthe opposite extremity of the spring 86 bearing against a collar 87 carried on the said operating staff 28.

From the above it will be seen that depression of the operating staff 28 against the tension of the spring-SG will impart movement in a downward direction to the lower extremity of the arm 22 through the medium of the portion 28 and link 80, intoV an operative position. in order to retain the stati1 28 in the depressed position a spring catch 37 is mounted on the inner face of the casing 26 as indicatedat 88 for engagement in a cut-out portion or groove 39 formed in the staff 28. When pressure is applied to the staff 28, it will be moved downwardly until the groove 39 engages the catch 87 thereby retaining it in the said position. A pair of springmembers 40 are secured to the inner face of the casing 26 at a. point substantially diametrically opposite thepoint at which the catch 37 is located and are directed against the staff 28 whereby to maintain the same in engagement with The lower extremity of thefopeiv kating staif 28 is pivotally connected at 29 the catch 87. The joint or hinge 23 being of the universal type allows of lateral as well as vertical movement of the arm 22, so that by a'slight rotation of the handle the arm 22 may be moved either to the channel 41 or the channel 42 as desired, when in a lowered position.

lV hen operating the device, the motorman takes note of the position in which the switch is located, and then depresses the staif 28 through the medium of the handle and 48. The forward movement'of the car,r

will then cause the block engaged, to be drawn with the car for a limited distance 'sutlicient to close an electric operating circuit to throw the switch point 4 to the desired position.

In order to automatically disengage the extension 24 carried on the arm 22, the abutments 43 and 44 have been provided one of which engages the lug 25 on the ,arm 22 causing a pressure in an upward direction on the said arm. This pressure will be transmitted through the medium of the link to the portion 28 of the staff 28 and this staff being pivoted yat 29 will move laterally against tension of the springs 40 to disengage the groove 39 from the catch 87 and allow the staff 28 to be drawn upwardly by the tension of the spring 86 into normal position, carrying the arm 22 with it. It will thus be seen that the actuating members are automatically disengaged from the switch operating mechanism and returned to normal position without any move on the part of the operator. y

In order to electrically operate the switch point 4 employ a plurality of electrical circuits capable of being closed by the movable blocks 47 and 48 when properly engaged.

As shown inFig. 2 a pair of stationary circuit terminals are provided on each of the channel members 4l and 42 as indicated at 45 and r46, respectively, these circuit terminals being insulated in any suitable .manner from the channels 4l and 42. Each of the terminals 45 and 46 is adapted to be engaged by the movable circuit terminals 47 and 48, respectively, each of said circuit terminals being slidably mounted in the channel members 41 and 42 as previously pointed out. A pair of electrical circuits indicatedfby the numeral 49 are provided, the terminal wires of each circuit being connected in their proper relation to the respective circuit terminals 45, 46, 47, and 48. i In Fig. 2 the relative arrangement of the two circuit terminals is clearly illustrated, the action of both of the slidable circuit terminals 4:7 and i8 being substantially alike l will therefore describe that of but one of them. The circuit terminal l? comprises a block having a pair of laterally extending pins 50 carried thereby for engagement in complementally formed elongated apertures 5l in the side walls of the channel member lll. ln order to retain the movable circuit terminal 47 remote from the stationary circuit terminal l5 l have provided a pair of retractile springs 52 anchored at 53 to the walls of the channel al and connected at 54 'to the pins 50 as indicated in Fig. 2.

A pair of solenoid magnets 56 and 57 are provided one in each of the circuits i9 and are energizable when the circuit closers are actuated, any suitable source of electrical energy being provided, an electric battery being designated at 58. Each ofthe solenoid magnets 56 and 57 is in pivoted conneetion at 59 with the switch point l so that when one or the other of the solenoid magnets is energized the switch point L will be moved.

In operation the motorman or operator on the vehicle actuates the stati Q8 in the manw ner previously described, the extension Z4 being thus brought into engagement with one or the other of the circuit closers t7 and 4l-S causing the latter to engage the stationary circuit terminal 45 or 46 as the case may be wherebyr to energize the respective electric magnets controllable thereby, and thereby move the switch point a to the desired position.

1While l have shown and described my invention as possessing a peculiar form and construction, it is desired that it be understood that l may make such changes in the details thereof that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

.Having thus described my invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An automatic switch operating device, including guide ways, a xed contact arranged in each of said guide ways, movable contacts arranged in each of said guide ways, and means for engaging the movable contact with said fixed contact.

2. An automatic switch operating device, including 'guide ways, a lixed contact arranged in said guide ways, a movable contact arranged within said guide ways, electro magnetic means associated with the switch point and connected with said contacts, and means 'for engaging the movable contact with said fixed contact.

3. An automatic switch operating device, including a body portion, a guide-way formed in said body portion, a fixed contact arranged in said guide-way, a movable contact disposed in the guide-way, means ior engaging the movable contact with the fixed contact, and means arranged adjacent said ixed contact for causing the engaging means to be automatically released from the movable contact, at times.

4i. An automatic switch operating device, including a body portion, a guide-way formed in said body, a lxed contact arranged in said guide-way, a movable contact in the guide-way, means for engaging the movable Contact with the fixed contact, and a curved abutment arranged adjacent said fixed contact for causing the engaging means to be automatically released from the movable contact, at times.

5. An automatic switch operating device, including, in combination with electro-magnetic means arranged in proximity to the switch point, a body portion, a guide-way formed in said body portion, a xed contact arranged in said guide-way, a movable contact in the guide-way, means for engaging the movable contact with the fixed contact to magnetize said electro-magnetic means for operating the switch point, and a curved abutment arranged adjacent said fixed contact for causing the engaging means to be released from the movable Contact, at times.-

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence oi two witnesses.

RAFAEL ALCOLEA.

Witnesses:

A. H. RITTER, A. BABIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

